For Last-Minute Entertaining, Keep These 7 Ingredients on Hand

“Come on over!” We all wish we could utter these words more often. Gathering with friends and family is such a joy, but sometimes the thought of shopping, planning, cooking, and cleanup is just too exhausting to entertain. We’re here to help with seven ideas for pulling together a spontaneous, sophisticated spread for any occasion, be it game night, catching up with neighbors, or just celebrating a spectacular sunset.

For each ingredient, we offer a serving tip for when you only have a few minutes to prepare, and an easy recipe to dial up the fancy if you’ve got a little more time. Stock up on these seven ingredients, plus some crackers and a couple of bottles of wine, and you’ll find yourself looking for reasons to celebrate.

Photography by: Justin Walker

1. There’s Always Time for Olives

They keep (nearly) forever in your fridge and always add a touch of sophistication to a snacking situation.

If you have 1 minute: Simply pour olives into a rustic bowl and set on the table. Don’t forget an extra bowl for the pits!

2. Never Without Nuts

A selection of almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, or peanuts—or combination of all—will always serve you well for crowd-pleasing nibbles. Place nuts in a few small bowls around the room so they’ll be within easy reach for everyone.

If you have 1 minute: tumble nuts into shallow bowls and you’re good to go!

If you have 20 minutes: perk up plain nuts with sweet-spicy-savory seasoning in Spiced Mixed Nuts.

3. Get Your Goat Cheese

An unopened log of fresh goat cheese will keep for a month or more in your fridge so you’re ready to party at a moment’s notice.

If you have 30 seconds: just roll that goat cheese out onto a plate and flank with crackers for an absolutely effortless appetizer. (Fill in the blanks with fresh or dried fruit if you’ve got it or add almonds to the plate.)

If you have 5 more minutes to spare: upgrade that goat cheese with some oregano, lemon zest, and pepper flakes with this Herbed Goat Cheese recipe.

4. Simple Shrimp

These sweet shellfish are always a treat, and they’re an almost effortless hors d’oeuvre when you keep a bag of raw, shelled shrimp in your freezer.

If you have 5 minutes: drop frozen shrimp into boiling water and cook just until pink. Serve with store-bought cocktail sauce or a mixture of mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and toasted sesame oil for dipping.